Passengers prepare to board the Cardinal at the Amtrak platform Thursday, June 29, 2017, at Riehle Plaza. On this morning, the Cardinal, which is scheduled to arrive at 7:36 a.m., arrived at 8:12 a.m. Staff photo by John Terhune/Journal & Courier
Passengers prepare to board the Cardinal at the Amtrak platform Thursday, June 29, 2017, at Riehle Plaza. On this morning, the Cardinal, which is scheduled to arrive at 7:36 a.m., arrived at 8:12 a.m. Staff photo by John Terhune/Journal & Courier
Amtrak says only one in three of its Indianapolis-bound Hoosier State trains arrived on time in June. 

The evening train’s 35.3 percent on-time performance is among its worst-ever. 

By contrast, the morning, Chicago-bound train boasted an 88.2 percent on-time performance in June.

Combining both of those numbers, the train's on-time rate tumbled to 61.8 percent in June — a sharp decline for a line that's more recently boasted on-time rates in excess of 80 percent.

"More than eight out of 10 trains arrived on time or early, but certainly the difference in June, we would want that to be an outlier," Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said. 

Amtrak and INDOT, which helps fund the line, say the blame lies on the freight railroads that own the tracks into Chicago. The delays have been caused almost exclusively by freight-train interference and dispatching decisions that de-prioritize Amtrak's trains, Magliari said. 

Copyright © 2024 www.jconline.com